Of Mice and Men: Chapter 7
by rainkisser
Summary: rated for language and violence. What happened after George shot Lennie i.e. the tragic end .


Of Mice and Men: Chapter 7

George and Slim walked into Susy's bar. It was empty and dark, not depressingly, but still empty and dark. They didn't talk to each other, didn't look at each other, they just came right up to the counter where Susy stood. Slim sat down casually and George slumped in to the chair after him. Susy smiled kindly, putting her hands on her hips, and tilting her head finely.

Susy: "So, what can I do fer ya?"

Slim: "How 'bout a couple shots a whiskey ta start with?"

Susy: "You got it."

She bent down and reached under the counter, taking out two shot glasses and a bottle, setting them on the counter top, and swiftly pouring the liquor into the glasses. Slim grabbed for his and gulped it down. George held the glass up to his eyes and looked at it thoughtfully. After a couple moments he finally drank it and set it down.

George: "Another."

Slim: "Me too."

Susy nodded her head and poured them another glass. This time, George took it down without hesitation. Before Slim even had the chance to drink his own glass, George reached for the bottle and got himself another glass. Slim watched him drink it again, forgetting his own glass. George sucked it down and grabbed for the bottle swiftly.

Slim: "Slow down there fella'. You've got plenty of time. You don't have ta take it down like there ain't no tomorra'."

George ignored this and kept going. He swallowed glass after glass till it finally ran out. He tipped the bottle upside down but only a single, skinny drop fell into the glass. He looked up at Susy.

George: "Got more a this?"

Slim: "Yer wantin' more? I think you've had enough already. You've gone through at leastsix shots."

George: "Well?"

Susy: "Yeah, there's some in the back."

Susy started to walk to the door, but George beat her to it, scuttling along. His walk was efficient, but still showed signs of the alcohol taking it's hold, his step dipping clumsily occasionally. Susy bent down and pulled out another bottle of whiskey, smiling menacingly. Slim chuckled a bit, but let out a sad sigh when she reached back to put it away.

Susy: "I ain't want to deal with a bad drunk who can't pay the bill. I can tell he's got something deep on his mind. Men like that have one drink and never stop."Both Slim and Susy looked at the door George went through. There was a deep pause. Susy turned back to Slim. "So, what's wrong with him?" she asked.

Slim: "Poor fella had to shoot his friend. You know, that guy, Lennie, I told you about."

Susy: "The big guy? Not so bright, but great worker? The one who almost killed his partner buckin' barley?"

Slim: "Yeah, that's the one. Well, Lennie killed Curley's wife this mornin'. He didn't mean no harm, but if George didn't shoot him himself, Curley sure would've. It was better George had done it than Curley, but it's still God damn hard for George to have done that. They traveled together, George took care of Lennie, ain't known another pair a men who done that before."

Susy shook her head, her eyes faced downward. At that time, George entered, his brow furrowed slightly. His step dipped more than before, but he still was able to hold himself up.

George:"I didn' fine none. Ain't much there but some cigars and boxes."

Susy: "I guess I need to restock."

Slim: "You had enough anyway George."

George: "Guess you're right. How much I owe you Susy?"

Susy: "Tell ya what. How 'bout you pay me for the fist drink and I forget about the rest."

George: "Ya sure?"

Susy: "Sure I'm sure. It's on me. You just remember now that you ain't ever gonna get that at some other sleazy place I know of." George laughed at this. Susy smiled and leaned back with her hands on her hips again. "Now, get along now, before I change my mind," Susy added. George laughed at this as well, but nodded his head in agreement.

George: "Yeah, I geuss it's time. I feel pretty tired." He walked off out of the bar. Slim got up to follow him.

Susy: "Hey Slim, you get him to the ranch safe, he's gonna need some sleep or his heads gonna hurt alot tomorra. He ain't too bad, he's _more_ than tipsy, but he ain't asbad as I've seen, he can hold his liquer. Still, it'd be best you get him back good."

Slim: "Alright. I will."

When Slim and George got back to the ranch, Curley came right up to them in the stables where they where putting the horses away in their stalls. Curley had a dip a lot worse than Georges and had obviously done some heavy drinking. In his good hand he held an almost empty bottle of whiskey.

Curley: "'Ey there Slim, George."

Slim: "What d'ya want Curley?"

Curley: "I just saw ya comin' back and wanted to thank George for what he did."

Slim looked over at George who had tensed up. His head was down and his hands had came into loose fists. He kept his eyes at the ground when he spoke.

George: "You don't have ta thank me for nothin'."

Curley: "Sure I do. Ya got that bastard who kill my wife. That idiot who gone an' kill my wife, ya got 'em all right an' I wants ta say thanks fer dat. Good thing ya done. Who knows what else he coulda done? "

George: "Yeah."

Curley: "Damn fool, it's good ya gone and kill em, George. Bastard kill my wife."

Slim: "Hey Curley you calm down now and go on to your house."

Curley: "Who tell ya ta speak? This between me and George, got nothin' for ya. How 'bout ya go on to yer bunk house and leave us two be. Make sure ya keep a job if ya know what I mean."

Slim: "You know your father ain't gonna can me Curley."

Curley: "Maybe, but there ain't no tellin' who I am gonna fire. Maybe pick your gorup off one by one."

Slim: "Your drunk, Curley. Come on George, we don't have to stick around for this."

George: "Nah, you go on, I'll stick and hear what he has ta say."

Slim stood and looked at George who was looking at Curley a little fiercely. He then looked at Curley who had the stupid, menacing expression of a drunk man up to no good, his brows going off in an odd direction and a long smile. Slim was hesitant, but he eventually turned to leave. He stopped before he took a step though and turned back to George.

Slim: "Now you don't go startin' fires where you can't put 'em out." He then turned to Curley, "Now, you here me, I'll be close by, so if you start anything, I'll know and so will all else."

At this, Slim left, Curley grinning behind his back. George was looking at Curley with disgust. Curley turned to him and took an unsteady step forward. He lifted the bottle he'd been holding and gulped the rest of the whiskey, dropping the bottle on the ground.

Curley: "Ya know George? I used ta hate ya fer hangin' around with Lennie, but now I think I might like ya." George clenched his fists. "Ya see, ya really showed me somethin' about ya when ya went out and shot Lennie. Ya really did. Maybe now we can be friends, huh? How bout it?" Curley came forward clumsily and extended his hand.

George: "I don't know yet, Curley."Curley dropped his hand.

Curley: "What do ya mean ya don't know? Ya ain't feelin' about what ya did are ya? Well, ya shouldn'. Tha' idiot was no good, no good at all. He was just an idiot who kill my wife! He gone and crush my han' and kill my wife!"

George: "Well, he's dead now, so we should lay off his mistakes. People get killed for their mistakes, but we bury most of 'em with the good stuff they did."

Curley: "Good stuff, what good stuff? He ain't done nothin' good,he gone an kill my wife! If that half-wit was here now, I'd rip him apart and I'd, and I'd..."

George: "Crush his hand?"

Curley: "Yeah! I'd crush his-wait! Are ya tryin' to get clever on me? Tryin' to poke fun?"

George: "I'm gonna go now." George got up to leave, but he stopped when he heard the sound of a pistol being cocked.

Curley: "You ain't goin' no where till I say so." George turned around, his hands were no longer clenched, but still hung at his side.

George: " What you doin' Curley? What you need that gun for?"

Curley: " I've been' doing some thinkin', I think you were in on it to. I think ya had a part Robidoux 6

on this killin' of my wife."

George: "What ya talkin' 'bout? I ain't done no such thing. How the hell d'ya figure that?"

Curley: "When I was smackin' Lennie around, he not done nothin' till ya told him to. I figure ya were there ta tell me when ta kill my wife and where ta run, how else ya find him so easy?"

George: "That don't make sense, I was with the guys playing horse shoes."

Curley: "Not the whole time. I remember'd ya leaving for a while. It didn't occur to me before, but I remember you leavin' for some time before we found her, it may have been only a little bit of time, but it was enough."

George: "You got yer story all mixed up. I went to take a leak."

Curley: "Too long for a leak, George. Don't go trying to tell me a different story, I know you done it, I know ya was in on it."

George: "Okay, here's the truth. The honest to god truth. I did know about it before you an' the others, but I wasn't a part of it..." He would've continued, but Curley cut in. Curley stumbled forward with the gun un his hand.

"I don't believe it! I told ya I wouldn' believe it!"

He fired right into George's neck. George fell to the ground, sputtering blood. Curley dropped the gun, realizing what he did, and ran off. George crawled forward and heard the worker's coming out from there bunk bed. George looked out at the ranch. A rabbit ran by the stables. George smiled and then was motionless.

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A/N: Disclaimer: I don't own Of Mice and Men or any of the things in it!!! if you think i do_you_ probably had too much whiskey.

this was an English project so the format is a little wierd but that's how I was supposed to do it. thanks for reading, AND REVIEW!!!


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